A nano tank layout featuring Reedy River: After Helene, 20 L, by Jack Mccarley. The composition is built around Locally-fallen deciduous limbs with leaves.
Hardscape (Locally-fallen deciduous limbs, leaves, seedpods) forms the skeleton — negative space between wood and stone guides the eye from foreground to depth. The plant list (Persicaria longiseta, Hydrocotyle verticillata, Ludwigia peploides, Murdannia keisak) favors background stem plants; packing the foreground too dense can make the tank feel heavy. Locally collected sand, clay, and loam substrate helps stabilize root-zone nutrition in the early weeks.
TWINSTAR 450EA lighting sits at a moderate-to-high technical level for this nano tank. On nano tanks, ramp light intensity over the first 2–3 weeks to limit hair algae.
Use the specs table as a shopping checklist for equivalent gear — then explore Biotope.
